SECTUR

BACKGROUND

INTERNATIONAL BACKGROUND

The roots of Agenda 21 date back to the 1970s with the UN-backed the Agenda 21 movement (named in reference to the 21^st Century). Here, for the first time, the international community expressed its concerns about ecological and development challenges.

•          In 1972, the “Conference on the Human Environment” took place under the auspices of the United Nations, in Stockholm, Sweden.

•          In 1987, the UN World Commission on Environment and Development adopted proposals set out in the document called “Our Common Future or the Brundtland Report”, which coined the first definition of Sustainable Development:

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

•          In 1992, the “Earth Summit” took place under the auspices of the UN World Commission on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

•          In 1995, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Earth Council formulated the “Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry”

•          In 1995, the “World Conference on Sustainable Tourism” took place under the auspices of the World Tourism Organization in the Canary Islands, Spain

•          IN 1999, the Association of Caribbean States (ACS-AEC) approves the creation of the “Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean” (STZC).

•          In 2001, during the Third Summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS-AEC) that took place in Margarita (Venezuela), Mexico signed up to the agreement of the “Sustainable Tourism Zone of the Caribbean” (STZC).

•          In June 2001, the Second Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Ministerial Meeting took place in Manzanillo, Colima. 21 Tourism Ministers attended and one of the items discussed was the importance of sustainable development in the tourism industry.

•          In September 2002, the “Johannesburg Summit” took place under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in South Africa. During this meeting, the Johannesburg declaration was adopted, with the aim of promoting sustainable development in the tourism industry.

•          27 November 2002, Agenda 21 for Mexican Tourism was announced.

•          In September 2005, the Ministry of Tourism (SECTUR) together with the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and the State Government of Baja California Sur, and with the participation of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the ACS-AEC, jointly developed the “International Colloquium on Sustainable Development of Tourism”, which took place in La Paz, Baja California Sur.

•          In November 2007, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) organized a round-table “Current challenges facing sustainable development for tourism; reducing poverty, managing cultural and natural heritage resources and climate change” in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia).

•          In September 2007, the World Tourism Organization and the Spanish International Cooperation Agency (AECID) organized the Regional Conferences for the Americas, focused on the regulations, quality and sustainability of tourism destinations.

•          In September 2007, a progress report was published on the Agenda 21 Program for Mexican Tourism and presented to Colombia’s tourism authorities, businesspeople and academics during the 5th Meeting of Colombia’s Sustainable Tourism Network.

BACKGROUND IN MEXICO

The document entitled “Policy and National Strategy for the Development of Sustainable Tourism” was presented at the end of 2000 as the framework reference for the Agenda 21 Program for Mexican Tourism.

More directly, Agenda 21 was drawn up as one of the strategies needed to comply with the National Tourism Program 2001-2006, which indicated that one of its guiding principle was to “Maintain Sustainable Tourism Destinations”, involving two Sectoral Objectives:

10. Supporting tourism development in municipalities, states and on a regional level.

11. Encouraging sustainable development for tourism.

2007- 2012 NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The 2007-2012 National Development Plan clearly indicates that:

“The Plan’s underlying premise is the search for Sustainable Human Development, involving the permanent process of broadening abilities and freedoms so that all Mexicans can enjoy a dignified life without compromising the heritage of future generations”.

• The National Development Plan (PND) is comprised of 5 guiding principles:

1. State of Law and Security

2. Competitive Economy and Creation of Jobs

3. Equal Opportunities

4. Environmental Sustainability

5. Effective democracy and responsible foreign policy

AGENDA 21 FOR MEXICAN TOURISM

AIM

“Propose strategies and actions in the short, medium and long-terms to strengthen the dynamic of tourism destinations, working toward the sustainable development of tourism, consolidating people’s wellbeing, protecting the environment and culture and optimizing the economic and social benefits for communities.”

3.2 WHAT IS THE AGENDA 21 PROGRAM?

• It is a program led by SECTUR in coordination with SEMARNAT to provide for sustainable development of tourism. In other words, it is the proposal to work together with municipalities, federal government, business and community organizations to improve the conditions of destinations.

• The first stage for Agenda 21 is to apply a system of indicators as a means of measuring and monitoring conditions of each destination, to take a clearly understandable snapshot for all involved.

• The result of the system is a diagnosis, an essential decision-making tool that reflects the information and opinions of local participants. The diagnosis is handled in four overarching themes: Environment, Socio-economic Environment, Urban Development and Tourism.

• The Diagnosis means that an action plan can be drawn up, and priorities and responsibilities assigned in order for progress to be made toward a more balanced development.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM

COORDINATED PROGRAM

The Agenda 21 Program enables the work and resources of governments, academics, private and community organizations to be brought together, since its aims are directly linked to the economic activity and quality of life of destinations.

The sustainable development of tourism brings economic benefits as a result of the activity itself, an improved quality of life for the host communities, the long-term ecological balance and the preservation of culture – each need to be considered to a tourism destination to be considered competitive.

Tourism is one of the most effective instruments for making progress toward a sustainable development of municipal tourism destinations.

LOCAL MANAGEMENT

Agenda 21 works through local management, since this is the best method for working toward sustainable development as no-one knows about the challenges better than those living in the destinations themselves.

A combined effort to work toward the common good is made by communities, the private sector and government.

STRATEGIES

The Agenda 21 Program proposes seven overarching strategies – each one facilitates work on different aspects of sustainable development of tourism.

OVERVIEW OF DESTINATIONS IN MEXICO

The Diagnoses for the Agenda 21 Program for Mexican Tourism have progressed and now offer a more accurate outlook that is grounded in reality, with information on the present and future conditions of tourism at destinations as well as the host population’s conditions.

It must be remembered that each destination is unique, even if they offer the same kind of attraction – such as beach holidays, magic towns (pueblos mágicos), colonial cities, mid-sized cities and outdoor destinations.

It must also be remembered that there a number of different options at the same destinations, as part of the diversification objective, adding value to the main attraction at each location.

This is clearly evident in beach destinations that now cater for cruise ships, destinations that have made congresses and conventions a very profitable market, the ever-increasing variety of outdoor related pursuits such as wildlife watching, walking holidays and adventure tourism that offers tours on bicycle, down rivers, into caves, aviation sports such as hang-gliding, parapenting and balloon rides, as well as the increasingly popular zip-lining.

The success of tourism is clearly a creator of social phenomena. For example, migration of job-seekers, either directly in the tourism hotels, airlines, restaurants, bars, recreational centers or as guides, operators or in other jobs linked to tourism such as business, transport, communications, service provision, security services and construction.

This success also entails an important challenge for destinations and municipalities in terms of public utilities such as drinking water, drainage, waste handling and disposal, employment, security and education. These are situations that often can be seen in the lack of housing, urban sprawl toward areas that are affected by problems in service provision, invasion of areas of environmental importance, street-sellers and overloaded tourism attractions and locations.

Broadly speaking, destinations have the following outlook:

There are environmental problems found in the treatment and handling of residual waters and solid waste management, since facilities for its final disposal are insufficient and there are not enough environmental awareness programs run by the private sector. Strengths are found in the efficiency of collecting solid wastes, water consumption and environmental programs run by educational establishments and community organizations.

Socioeconomically, demographic pressure and street-selling have become major headaches for some destinations. On the positive side, tourism destinations offer many job opportunities and in most of them the quality of life is higher than average.

In tourism, the need for training is important, as is the certification of tour guides, the lack of involvement by the private sector in programs that promote competitiveness and the improvement of destinations, the average spend by visitors and tourists, occupancy rates and seasonal factors of destinations. On the positive side, customer satisfaction levels and conservation of main attractions, as well as tourism has become the generator of economic development both locally and regionally.

In terms of urban development, problems become more evident with the growth of urban sprawl and increased number of unsafe housing around destinations, as well as the lack of proper land organization. On the positive side, one can identify the provision of basic services such as drinking water, drainage systems and electricity, urban development plans and in some destinations the implementation of regulations on urban environment.

This combines to give us a picture of the challenges facing tourism destinations in Mexico. Although they have played a positive role, they required joined-up action from all stakeholders, such as the three levels of government, private tourism enterprises, academia, NGOs and community organizations to increase competitiveness – not just of the tourism destination but also to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants.